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Upanishads: The Mystics of Vedas!
Hindus who believe that "Hindu Religion is great" have the moral
obligation to contribute materials that support this claim. Please
commit sometime to express your view points to the millions why this is
so! Here is my part of the commitment. I plan to write a series of
articles on this noble cause. I appreciate your support. My next article
will substantiate that Hindus are the first to define the concepts "Zero
and "Infinity." Infact Vedanta is nothing but abstract algebra for
mathematically inclined thinkers!
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| THE UPANISHADS, THE MYSTICS OF THE VEDAS |
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The history of Hinduism shows, there are several levels of thought and
experience that gave rise in time to several schools of philosophy.
Hinduism, the oldest of the world religion, is founded on the sacred
scriptures, called Vedas. The four important phases of Vedic revelation
contain Mantras, Brahmanas, Aranyakas, and the Upanishads. The Mantras or
Slokas are the Vedic hymns orally passed from generations to generations.
The Brahmanas are the consequence of the ritualistic elements in the Mantras.
They discuss rituals and sacrifices, the hymns to be sung, and the gods to
be invoked. They also define the duties of the officiating priests. The
Aranyakas and the Upanishads articulate the mystical elements of the Mantras.
The last phase of the Vedic revelation established the most significant
thought process to the philosophy of life through the Upanishads. The
Upanishads come after the Veda and therefore the philosophy is known as the
Vedanta. The Upanishads, written by the teachers of Vedas, contain the
universal and eternal truths of the Vedic hymns. It describes the
relationship between Atman, the human soul and Brahman, the universal soul.
The eleven known Upanishads are Isavasya, Kena, Katha, Prasna, Mundaka,
Mandukya, Taittiriya, Aitareya, Chandogya, Brihadarnyaka, and Svetasvatara.
The written verses in Sanskrit are difficult to comprehend because they
contain deep insight to the problems of religion and human thought. The main
objective of this article is to illustrate the essence of the Upanishads for
the readers to understand and appreciate. Secondly, I hope to motivate the
readers to look for more detailed works on Vedanta in general, and
Upanishads and Gita in particular.
The Creation and Realization
The Upanishads compare God to a spider that weaves its web out of its own
body and lies at the center of it. There is general agreement that the
principle and source of the universe is Brahman. The resolution of the
relationship between Brahman and the universe is the central theme of
Vedanta, and the Upanishads. The relative standpoint is Saguna Brahman, the
manifestation of Brahman by the human soul, viewed through the human
spectacles. Nirguna Brahman, is the absolute standpoint, where Brahman is
God as He views Himself independently. Sankara's Advaita Vedanta explains
why Brahman, individual soul (Atman), and the Universe is not different.
Madhvacharya's Dvaita Vedanta describes the conception of God with the basic
assumption that Brahman, individual souls, and the world are different.
The Taittiriya Upanishad using the story of the enlightenment of
Bhrigu, the son of Varuna explains the ideas of creation and realization. The
universe has five orders of beings: material objects, living plants,
conscious animals, intelligent human beings and God in bliss. The four
important ingredients to realize SELF, are Annam (food), Prana (air), Manas
(consciousness), Vijnana (knowledge). The goal of human life is ananda
(bliss), the realization of SELF (Tat Tvam Asi).
Human being, in the scale of spiritual progression, has dual
personality. They are partly animal and partly god, moving in two worlds,
the world of Nature and the world of Spirit. The Taitriya Upanishad suggests
the path of spiritual progression. The path has movements from food, life,
mind, knowledge, and ultimately to Brahman, the SELF. By eliminating all the
limitations of the body, mind and intellect, the SELF can be realized. The
human being is potentially divine, and that can overcome the world and break
the bonds, and ultimately can realize the SELF. The Mundaka Upanishad states
" As the flowing rivers disappear in the sea, losing their name and form, so
does a wise man freed from name and form go into the Divine Spirit greater
than the great." This experience has different names at different times,
as Prana, Jyotis, Akasa, Brahman, Atman, Ananda, or simply as Sah.
The Doctrine of Karma and Samsara
In support of the realization of SELF, Upanishads outlines several additional
explanations. The universe has the natural tendency to guide the realization
by the human soul. The natural forces of the universe maintain the balance
between the material objects, living plants, conscious animals, and
intelligent human beings. The transition from human consciousness into
divine (transcendental) consciousness is a long and laborious process.
Ordinarily, within the span of a single lifetime, it is not feasible to
transit from human to divine. Life is a continuous journey, carried over and
continued through the succeeding lives till the attainment of SELF
realization. The Doctrine of Karma and Samsara rationalizes the role of the
soul during the transition between the lives. The law of Karma rationalizes
the purpose of the movement. Rebirth is dependent on moral behavior in a
previous phase of existence and life on the universe is transient.
In the Upanishads, it is no longer a question of rewards and
punishments meted out by an external judge. The human beings become the
architect of their own spiritual fortunes, no longer subject to chance or the
will of an hypothetical God. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad states that the
actions of the human beings decide the outcome. The doer of good becomes
good, the doer of evil becomes evil. One becomes virtuous by virtuous action
and sinful by sinful action. As is his desire so is his will, as his will
so is the deed, he does, and whatever deed he does, that he will reap.
Ultimately, being Brahman, he goes to Brahman!
The Bhagavad Gita elaborates the doctrine of Karma-yoga, established
in the Upanishads. The Karma-yoga is the solvent of the Law of Karma. It
is an effective spiritual discipline for persons who seek knowledge of God
or knowledge of SELF. According to this doctrine, all works done in a
spirit of renunciation and sacrifice with no desire for their fruit lead not
to rebirth but to moksha or Self-realization. In nature, the behavior of
plants and trees is in the spirit of renunciation and sacrifice with no
desire. The path to moksha, is no desire! Desires are the root cause of
deaths and births. Work done without any desire for personal gain, becomes
spiritual action. Action should be natural and spontaneous, prompted by the
circumstance. An excellent example of this spontaneity is the blooming of
the flowers during the morning sunlight (J. Krishnamoorthy's Video
Discourse). It is not the renunciation of the action itself, but
renunciation of the gains from such action is important.
The Path to Self-realization - Sravana, Manana, and Nididhyasana:
What are the guidelines to reach the goal of life? What type of life one has
to lead in order to realize God? The answers to these questions are not
directly addressed in the scriptures. It is impossible to outline the path
of Self-realization because such a possibility is a logical contradiction.
Rightly, the acquisitions of knowledge, the cultivation of virtues, the
development of character and the discharging of the duties of the citizen are
the only true concerns of the scriptures. However, there are hints and
suggestions with regard to the essential pre-requisites of spiritual
illumination. It is not the knowledge of scriptures but the realization of
the SELF that brings liberation to the spirit of the human being. The
Sanskrit sloka " Mantravideva asmi na atmavit." illustrates the true
perspective in the quest for knowledge. Infinite knowledge on Mantras does
not lead one to Self-realization.
Vedanta, the philosophy of life derived from the scriptures, is an
elaboration of the path to Self-realization. The Brihadaranyaka Upanishad
discusses the essence of Vedanta in greater depth. The discussion between
Rishi Yajnavalkya and his wife, Maitreyi elaborates the essence of Vedanta.
The three recognized states to the path of Self-realization are: Sravana,
Manana and Nididhyasana. Sravana is the study of scriptures under a
qualified Guru. Manana means constant reflection upon what has been learnt
so that intellectual conviction may be produced in the mind. Finally,
Nididhyasana implies meditation that helps to cause a direct realization of
the unity of things in God. Knowledge should lead to experience, intellectual
conviction should result in perception. That is why meditation comes in the
last stage of the spiritual journey. Again the scriptures insist that
successful completion of the states are neither necessary nor sufficient for
Self-realization.
Patanjali, the greatest authority on Yoga, discusses the different
kinds of meditation techniques from the scriptures. Yoga, the practice of
meditation is deep thinking. Human beings meditate in their daily work to
get knowledge and power. The Yogi practices yogas with a specific goal in
life. A genuine yogi has no interest in the enjoyment of powers because they
are barriers to Self-realization. The scriptures discuss the true form of
meditation, the path to Self-realization. The Upanishads outlines the
details of Upasanas, the preliminary steps of meditation. The Upasanas
include the choice of symbol or object to represent SELF, the mystic syllable
AUM, and other key elements. Prana (breath), Asana (posture), Pratyahara
(training of mind for detachment), Dharna (concentration of mind to specific
part of body), and Dhyana (get the power to think) are the critical elements
of the upasanas. The last part of meditation is Samadhi, the total
absorption. In this state of the mind, the yogi rejects the external part,
the object of meditation, and contemplates only its essence.
The word AUM is primordial and uncreated sound. The mystics absorbed
in contemplation, when their minds and senses are withdrawn from the world
heard the sound AUM. AUM, often written OM (to rhyme with home), is the most
sacred word in the Gayatri mantra, which contains the essence of Vedanta.
This is an effective symbol of Brahman. The Upanishads describe AUM as the
symbol of the Atman, or individual soul, in its various aspects. The unique
sound of A, U, and M represents the Atman free from the experiences of the
relative world, Turiya, the pure consciousness.
States of Consciousness and Transcendental Consciousness:
There are four states of consciousness, waking, dream, dreamless sleep, and
Turiya, (self-realization). The state of waking consciousness contains the
impressions derived directly from the objects presented to the senses. The
state of dream consciousness fills with impressions not directly from the
objects but from the images of objects stored in the memory. At the state
of dreamless sleep, not only the senses and but the mind is quiescent. Here
there are no impressions and the mind is a temporary cessation of normal
consciousness. Finally, the fourth state of consciousness, Turiya, where the
subject is permanently free from the principle of objectivity. The person
has the positive experience of Atman, the liberated spirit and this
experience is not within the experience of ordinary persons. This state
according to Mandukya Upanishad is neither cognitive nor non-cognitive, it
cannot be seen, cannot be described, and cannot be designated. This is the
state of the realization of Atman, the knowledge of oneness of the SELF,
where the world ceases to exist!
All creatures seek happiness, and most of them seek the lowest quality
and for the shortest duration. True happiness consists in expanding our
souls in every direction and reaching out in brotherly union with other
souls, to that universal spirit who is the perfection of knowledge, beauty
and love. This path to true happiness is Pravritti Marga. The acquisition
of knowledge, the worship of beauty, and the thrilling experience of love is
only knowing the different phases of knowing the SELF. This is Nivritti
Marga, the path of concentration. The internal world and the external world
needs equal attention to reach the transcendental consciousness. The
Bhagavad Gita says, " He who sees that the way of renunciation and the way
of works are one, he sees indeed."
Conclusion:
Sharma, in his book, The Upanishads-An Anthology, states "It may be remarked
that this aspect of the Upanishadic teaching, bearing on what is now called
Nature mysticism, as well many other aspects, is either lost sight of or is
reduced to a cold hardened doctrine in most of our later scriptures, without
the warm enthusiasm and the profound mystic insight of the original seers."
Parthasarathi, a well known scholar of Vedanta, in his book Vedanta
Treatise, states " The goal of all religions is one and the same. To unveil
your real Self. To discover your true nature. To draw out the divinity in
you." The Upanishads with the Gita contains the essence of VEDANTA: the
thoughts on creation, the creator, and the salvation. The stories of
Nachiketas in Katha, of Bhrigu in Taittiriya, Janaka in Brihadaranyaka, and
of Satyakama, Upakosal, Svetaketu and several others in Chandogya are good
illustrations of Vedanta.
Bibliography
Sharma, D. S. The Upanishads - an anthology, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay,
1975.
A. Parthasarathy, Vedanta Treatise, Vedanta Life Institute, Bombay, 1984.
Swami Nikhilananda, Hinduism, Sri Ramakrishna Math, Mylapore, Madras, 1968.
McCormick, Alvena, The Mystery of Creation, Central Chinmaya Mission Trust,
Bombay, 1986.
" Have a Good Day "
"Truth is a pathless land, and you cannot approach it by any path
whatsoever, by any religion, by any sect. Truth, being limitless,
unconditioned, unapproachable by any path whatsoever, cannot be
organized; nor should any organisation be formed to lead or to
coerce people along any particular path." J. Krishnamoorthy
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